Cities are getting a taste of the autonomous future of municipal maintenance, thanks to devices like the SnowBot Pro, which clears sidewalks of snow and applies de-icer. Maintenance departments expect further advances in automated mowing, sweeping and other tasks, which will free up human staffers for less dangerous roles with more regular hours.

Strong cybersecurity starts with top-down support from the CEO and must be accompanied by investment, effective management and the right talent, says Raytheon CEO Thomas Kennedy. "Cyber-aware employees then become your best line of defense and a critical component of your organization's cyber resiliency," he says.

If companies are going to invest enough money to adequately defend against cyberthreats, chief information security officers need to approach boards with a clear picture of the risks they are taking if they don't have tight security in place. In meetings, anticipate questions, be transparent about existing vulnerabilities and focus on the potential business impacts of investments in security, as well as the potential risks of inaction.

The use of artificial intelligence will allow insurance companies to more accurately model risk, prevent fraud and reduce cyberthreats, writes Guidewire's Michael Anderson. Advanced analytics being used to speed up claims and underwriting, and data listening technology getting tapped to hedge against cyberbreaches, are two of the six key ways AI will be deployed this year, Anderson writes.

Almost three-fourths of businesses are struggling to maintain a strong cybersecurity platform due to a lack of experienced workers and an increased workload for those with cyberskills. With fewer workers in place to manage platforms, adversaries are having an easier time infiltrating loosely protected businesses, experts said at the recent RSA Conference 2019.

In a pivot from recent years, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in her State of Homeland Security address that government can more effectively create cyberdefenses by teaming up with the private sector to merge tools and ideas. "It's not just US troops and government agents on the front lines anymore," Nielsen said, adding that foreign adversaries are targeting virtually everyone, using "our own innovation against us."

After facing a $5 billion antitrust fine in the European Union, Google plans to ask Android users to specify which search applications and web browsers they prefer. The company's goal is to present a neutral choice, rather than take advantage of Google's pre-installed status on Android devices.

Apple unveiled updates to its iMac desktop computer that add faster processors from Intel Corp. and graphics engines from AMD. The new 4K 21.5-inch model, which will start at $1,299, will be 60% faster, and the 5K 27-inch version, which will start at $1,799, will be 2.4 times faster.

The Smart Cities Council chose 10 cities and regions as finalists in this year's North American Smart Cities Readiness Challenge. Five winners will get assistance turning their proposals into reality through a yearlong Readiness Program.